How to Become a UX Designer

In our digital age, the best careers are often found in the web development and design field. User experience (UX) design is probably the most creative job in that field.
UX Design is the process of designing and developing a product that provides a user-friendly experience. To succeed in this field, you need to be creative, design-savvy, and analytical.
This lucrative career path is tempting, and there are many ways you can get into it. Keep reading to know how to become a UX designer.

What Is UX Design?

The first thing you notice when you open a web page or an application is how it looks. Is it easy to navigate? Is the information clear and accessible? This is all attributable to UX design.
UX design, as the name suggests, is all about creating the best experience for anyone using a program. A UX designer makes sure that the program is usable and accessible to the end-user.
UX designers are involved in the project from the beginning to ensure that developers are aware of the needs of the users.
There are many responsibilities that come with a role in UX design. First, UX designers do extensive research. They need to be fully aware of the purpose of the program, the demographic, and the users’ needs.
Next, there‘s the design aspect. Visually appealing graphic design is essential in creating the best user experience, but design isn’t just visual. UX designers also have to create interactive elements in the program.
The design of any project comes to life through creating wireframes. A wireframe is the program’s blueprint. It serves as a skeleton that displays how content and information are allocated within the program.
A more advanced version of the wireframe is then created, called the prototype. It’s one step closer to the finished product and allows the UX designer to perform tests and identify areas of improvement.

How to Become a UX Designer

You’ll need many skills, hours of practice, and a lot of experience to be able to cope with the responsibilities of a UX designer.

Step 1: Acquire Essential Skills

As evidenced by a UX designer's daily tasks, you’ll need to acquire some technical skills, including:

UX Research

Designers need to be familiar with the program and the market. This includes creating user personas and gathering data to make informed decisions.

Visual and Interactive Design

The most essential part of UX design is creating visually appealing and interactive programs. Aesthetically pleasing designs are at the heart of the user experience.
Designers can understand how the users will interact with the program by analyzing the users’ mental models. This approach helps create the best experience for the users.

Wireframing and Prototyping

While working on projects, UX designers create wireframes and prototypes to ensure that the project stays on track at all times. Wireframes and prototypes are also created to validate the work with the project’s stakeholders.

UX Writing

Writing engaging words that help users make decisions is an unsung talent. Creating appealing microscopies is an essential, often overlooked, part of UX design.

Coding

UX designers don’t write the code themselves. However, they need to learn basic programming languages such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
This skill can help designers understand what goes behind their choices, and eases the handoff process between designers and developers.

Step 2: Get the Fundamental Tools

There are several tools widely used by UX designers to create prototypes and wireframes. Having the basic knowledge of those tools will help you greatly in advancing your design career.
Some of these tools are:
  • Adobe Illustrator: One of the most popular vector-based tools for graphic designers. It’s perfect for beginner and professional designers alike.
  • Adobe Photoshop: Another member of the Adobe family, this tool is ideal for image editing and manipulation. It provides all of the basic functions needed by designers.
  • Adobe XD: This design tool is mainly used to create wireframes, prototypes, and even full designs. It’s considered an entire UX program as it can be used to create a design from scratch.
  • Proto.io: This web tool helps you create interactive prototypes. It’s perfect for transforming your idea into a mockup.
  • UXPin: A popular wireframing tool used by most of the world’s top companies. It’s easy to learn, and knowing how to use it will certainly be beneficial in the long run.
  • Figma: A perfect option for beginner designers. It’s a free web tool that helps you create your designs and wireframes.

Step 3: Build Your UX Designer Portfolio

The last and most crucial step in becoming a UX designer is to create your personal UX design portfolio. It’s essential when applying for positions to have a portfolio of your work at hand.
Your portfolio should consist of your most impressive UX case studies. It should demonstrate your abilities as a designer. Your digital portfolio itself can be a case study!
Taking a project-based UX Design course is one way to start building your portfolio. An employer will want to see something tangible from the theories you learn in a course, so a project-based course should give you the best of both worlds.
Such courses won’t only get you started, but will also help you refine and polish your work for the job market.
You can also view other designers’ portfolios, so you can develop an eye for UX designs and come up with your own style. In addition, there are online tools that can help you build a portfolio.

Why You Should Become a UX Designer

It takes a lot of work to become a talented UX designer. Many perks of UX Design can keep you motivated besides your passion for design, including:

UX Design is The Job for The Future

UX design combines both creativity and good career prospects. Pursuing a career in the creative field can be risky, but UX design is a stable option. It’s the job of the future!

You Have Creative Liberty

It’s a highly flexible job. Being a UX designer doesn’t mean you’re stuck doing one thing. You can transition to many related fields such as graphic design, editing, and development. You can also specialize in a specific UX discipline, such as research or writing.

It’s a Fulfilling Job

The only job in web development that ensures you have direct contact with the user is UX design. You can experience first-hand the results of your work as you see users’ feedback.

Flexible Opportunities

UX designers can do it all, whether they want to work as freelancers, in outsourcing companies, in reputable tech companies, or even in their own start-ups. Choices are endless when it comes to UX design.

The Adequate Salary

As for the salary, UX design is a well-paid job compared to other creative fields. The average annual salary of a UX designer is around $90,000.

Conclusion

For anyone who wants to work in the tech field and also have a creative outlet, UX design is a perfect choice. It’s a demanding career, but it has plenty of benefits that surely will suit any artistic individual.
As for how you become a UX designer, you’ll need to learn a couple of skills and continue practicing.